What must not be missed in South Korea?

1.
Posted bycrisbernal(Budding Member 18 posts) 4y
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Just got my entry visa and I will be flying to South Korea tomorrow. My entry/exit point is Busan and I wish to have a look, though quick, of the tourist known areas in Busan, Seoul and nearby cities. I will arrive at Busan around midnight of Oct 31, 2012. I plan to stay in Namsan Guesthouse. Any comment on this? Then I do tour around tourist spots in Busan the whole day of Nov 1 and take the bus to Seoul that evening. Or is it train the better way to Seoul? I plan to sleep on the ride to Seoul than stay at the hotel, if this is possible. I hope to reach all best tourist destinations in Seoul and neighboring areas the whole day of Nov 2 and 3 before going back to Busan and fly back to Manila at midnight of Nov 3. Please I need recommendations of a valuable despite a brisk look of South Korea. Need a tip...

I'd highly recommend taking a day trip from Seoul up to the DMZ - it's fascinating. I went with USO and their tour was excellent. There are numerous companies that offer a similar tour, but just make sure they visit Panmunjom as that's the most interesting part.

In Seoul, don't miss the war museum, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Namsan (South Mountain) and Seoul Tower. Myeong-dong is a fun and lively place to wander around in the evening; I also enjoyed walking along Cheonggye Stream in the centre of the city. Insadong is worth a quick look although I found it rather touristy.

3.
Posted bycrisbernal(Budding Member 18 posts) 4y
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Wow! It feels intriguing, all of them. I just don't know how to get there though... Thank you bex76, I appreciate it! I will google all the top spots you mentioned here.

I only went to Seoul and the DMZ so can't advise on Busan unfortunately.

7.
Posted bycrisbernal(Budding Member 18 posts) 4y
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I see... Thank you bex76. I appreciate your help. You're the man!

8.
Posted bymadpoet(Respected Member 415 posts) 4y
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South Korea is a small country, so you can get from one end to the other in just a few hours. Seoul definitely has more to see than Busan, but there are many small historical cities around Busan, worth visiting. If you had more time, I'd recommend taking the ferry from Busan (or flying) to Jeju Island, which is Korean, yet different.

Definitely try the Korean barbeque while you are in South Korea! It's delish.

9.
Posted bycrisbernal(Budding Member 18 posts) 4y
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Thank you madpoet! Supposedly Jeju Island is part of my itinerary, however I only have 3-full days for this tour so squeezing in Jeju I believe is not possible. Next time around, promise I will bring with me my friends and Jeju Island would definitely be the main destination. I appreciate your tip.

10.
Posted byperryroll(First Time Poster 1 posts) 4y
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I live in Busan. It's not very touristy but there are a few good things to do. You should eat at Jagalchi fish market and take a walk around that area. Visit Gwangali beach area. Songdo beach area and Amnam park is a nice walk as well. Yonggungsa temple is interesting because it's on the coast - that's near Songjeong beach which is nice. Take a local bus up into the many hills in the area and you will see how poorer people live. The refugees during the war were housed on the hills in village such as Taegukdo. It's interesting to walk around. Try the Cave bar in Beomil-dong for the best kimchi and paejeon - it's an actual cave which was used to store weapons during the war and has been converted into a bar which has great kimchi paejeon (a kind of pancake), dong dong ju (rice wine in a bowl) . Geumgang fortress is a good walk up north near Beomeosa temple, you can take a cable car up the hill. If you like films, the new Cinema Center in Centum City is very impressive. It's also near Spaland which is a good introduction to the Korean jjimjilbang/sauna for a westerner, and near the Busan Art Museum. There are better museums in Seoul though in my opinion. For drinks at night, Kyungsung University area has lots of bars and restaurants.